Comparison Between Men Charged With Domestic and Nondomestic Homicide

• NCJ Number: 105870
• Journal: Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry Law Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: (1985) Pages: 233-241
• Author(s): A E Daniel; W R Holcomb
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Paper presented at the 15th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 1984, Nassau, Bahamas.

Annotation

This study investigated the demographics, family and developmental background, criminal history, and psychiatric status at time of offense of 44 domestic and 169 nondomestic homicide offenders evaluated at a forensic unit between 1976 and 1981.

Abstract

Compared to nondomestic offenders, domestic offenders were significantly more likely to be married, older, unemployed at the time of offense, and to have committed the homicide in the offender's or victims' home. Domestic offenders were also more likely to have killed child victims and female victims. A significant percentage of offenders in both groups had disrupted families. Childhood behavioral problems were more likely among domestic offenders. Almost a third of both groups were intoxicated at the time of the offense. In addition, 17 percent of domestic murderers attempted to kill themselves after the offense, and 55 percent exhibited bizarre or psychotic behaviors immediately after the killing, compared to only 25 percent of nondomestic murderers. Finally, 34.09 percent of domestic killers received a pretrial psychotic diagnosis as compared to 11.67 percent for nondomestic killers. 14 references.